(A) Field of the Invention
The subject invention is in the general field of mechanisms for throwing and catching objects, animals and humans. More specifically the invention is in the field of mechanisms for safely throwing and catching people for their amusement and the thrill experience of acceleration, deceleration, and, in particular, weightlessness. By its nature the invention is in the field of apparatus, machines and devices used in amusement parks and carnivals.
(B) Description of the Prior Art
The earliest known throwing mechanisms are the ancient catapults. These are not known to have been used for catapulting people into free flight for their amusement, nor is it known that they were used in combination with apparatus for catching the catapulted objects. However, U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,053 shows a form of catapult designed to catapult a person and used in combination with a swimming pool as a means for providing a relatively safe landing for the person. Use of this combination of catapult and swimming pool clearly depends on the physical condition and skills of the user. Landing on water can cause excessive stress on the human body and the ability to dive or at least swim would be needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 824,506 shows a relatively more complex and sophisticated apparatus usable for throwing persons. However, no purpose is stated for throwing persons and there is no mention of means for assuring safety of persons thrown. U.S. Pat. No. 826,019 also shows apparatus for throwing (projecting) "projectiles of any kind", including humans and the apparatus is claimed as an amusement device. It is clear, however, that the amusement is for the observers and not the projected person. U.S. Pat. No. 562,448 also shows means for projecting a person, for the amusement of observers, requiring that the thrown person have considerable physical strength and skill.
It is stated that the people thrown by the patented apparatus previously cited may be caught in a net or the like, may catch a trapeze bar, or may be caught by other performers. Safe use of these retrieval methods reqires considerable training and skill.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,351 shows a device for catching free falling bodies. The device is basically a trampoline but is spring-tensioned in one direction only (end-to-end). Successful use of this device would require that the user have knowledge of how to land on this type of device, be in strong physical condition and have excellent balance and agility.
U.S. Pat. No. 952,871 shows another trampoline-like machine which is suitable only for use in emergencies in which risk of physical harm to the user is tolerable only because of the user's exposure to greater risks such as fire and smoke in a burning building.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,482,554 shows a tower from which a person may jump or be dropped for amusement purposes. In this invention, the person was to be retrieved from free fall by a cable attached to the person, and means to arrest the travel of the cable. Such apparatus could subject the user to high, uncomfortable and dangerous stresses during retrieval and would partially defeat the desired sensation of free flight by the presence of the attached cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,068,386 shows a combination of a spring-supported jumping height and distance amplifier and several resilient landing areas. The invention, intended for amusement, would require strength and skill of the user, and would be dangerous to users not employing adequate caution. The inflated jumping beds currently used in amusement parks are similar in nature and safer than the cited invention, but still depend solely on user strength and coordination.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,305 shows a diving platform in conjunction with a trampoline located at the edge of a swimming pool. Like the apparatus just cited, use of this invention depends solely on the skills of the user. It would be dangerous to a non-skilled user since an inexact jump would result in missing or improper contact with the trampoline. This apparatus is therefore suitable for use by athletes and performers, but not only by untrained persons.
Another related prior art apparatus is the "mechanical bull", designed to test the strength and ability of riders and to throw them off if they are unable to hang on. Therefore, these mechanisms are different from the subject invention in both purpose and implementation. Free flight, if any, is unplanned and uncoordinated, and the landing may be in any orientation and may be dangerous to the person thrown.
Ski-jumps can be considered apparatus for launching humans into free flight and the sloping of the landing sites for the jumpers is a good technique for minimizing of the landing impact at the end of the flight. However, it is well known that very few people can experience the sensations of free flight and zero gravity by ski-jumping because of the skill and physical capability required.
Various amusement devices provide some of the sensations of weightlessness, these devices including roller coasters and loop-the-loops. However, in such devices the persons are restrained in, and/or encumbered by seats. They usually also grasp structure, handles and the like, thus detracting from the sensation of free flight.
The desire for and thrill of experiencing free flight is strong and is manifested by many well known activities. These include children being tossed up and caught by adults, blanket tossing as practiced in particular by Eskimos, trampoline activity, snow and water ski-jumping and simple jumping from safe heights into hay or snow. The free fall part of sky diving is a satisfying way to experience weightlessness for an extended period; however, this activity again is limited to the few with the time, money, physical and psychological attributes needed for it.
The desire of people for the thrill of free flight is also manifested by the popularity of vicariously experiencing it in watching cliff divers, trapeze performers and so-called human cannon balls.
It is clear, in view of the above stated facts and cited prior art, that large numbers of people have a strong desire to experience the sensations of free flight without encumbrances of any sort and with a high degree of safety. It is also clear that the desire has not been satisfied because prior art means for providing such satisfaction have been useful only to relatively few people because of various factors and combinations of factors, such as need for particular physical capabilities, unacceptable hazards and/or amounts of time, money, training or skill required.
It is absolutely essential to the utility of the subject invention that the persons launched into free flight be able to land safely regardless of their physical conditions and capabilities. For short duration flights current and prior art apparatus will be adequate, apparatus such as safety nets, inflated pads, foam pads, inflated and vented pads and the like. However, landing after longer flights presents requirements not met by the current and prior art apparatus. To provide the necessary soft landing from a long flight with a reasonable depth pad or mattress it is necessary that the deceleration force be very nearly constant throughout the deceleration. It is also necessary that material mass suddenly accelerated by the landing person be minimal so that the force required to accelerate the mass is also minimal and, preferably, negligible. Also, it is most important that there be minimal concentrated forces generated when and if the first contact of a landing person with the bed is with an extended appendage such as an arm, a leg or the neck and head. It is essential that no major deceleration of any part of the person begin until the primary mass of the body is in contact with the bed. The most sophisticated known prior art, comprising an inflated mattress made of thin, flexible material with inflation pressure maintained nearly constant in spite of changes in the volume, meets all the described requirements except the elimination of concentrated loads on extended appendages. Meeting this requirement was a significant part of the problem solved by the subject invention.